1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic imaging apparatus, and in particular, to an electronic imaging apparatus that electronically records images taken with an image pickup device, comprising a strobe device in its body and an open/close lid for protecting an image pickup lens, wherein a strobe flashing unit of this strobe device is incorporated in the open/close lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, in cameras for taking pictures using silver halide film, electronic imaging apparatuses such as digital still cameras that electronically record image signals obtained by image pickup devices, and the like, a slidably moveable open/close lid is provided to protect a picture-taking lens that is in the front of the camera and other respective constitutive members located in an exterior part in the front of the camera when the camera is not being used.
In addition, various cameras with which picture-taking is performed using conventional silver halide film and the like inclusion of a strobe device composed of a strobe flashing unit inside the lens barrier and the like has been proposed. Japanese Utility Unexamined Publication No. 61-140338 is an example of such a strobe device in use.
According to a conventional camera that includes a strobe flashing unit in a lens barrier for protecting the front of a picture-taking lens, it is possible to keep a distance between the strobe flashing unit and the picture-taking lens by moving the lens barrier to the open direction at the time of picture-taking, and thus suppressing the red-eye phenomenon.
In addition, since a lens barrier occupies a comparatively large area on a camera body, the placing of a strobe flashing unit on this lens barrier is advantageous in that it is possible to effectively utilize the area occupied by the lens barrier, and thus it becomes possible to further reduce the size of the entire camera.
However, if the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens (a lens barrier) as used in a conventional silver halide film is applied to an electronic imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera, it is not possible to take a satisfactory image because electromagnetic wave noise and the like that occur at the time of flashing of the strobe adversely affect an image pickup device, an image pickup circuit, and the like. Therefore, the use of the above-described construction in the conventional camera for an electronic imaging apparatus is problematic.
In a common strobe flashing unit, electric charges charged in a strobe capacitor by the control of a strobe circuit are supplied by a xenon tube, high voltage generated in a trigger transformer is applied to a reflector, and the xenon tube is flashed thereby. In this case, there is also plenty of electromagnetic wave noise because of the high voltage generated in particular between the trigger transformer and the xenon tube.
In the conventional construction of a lens barrier incorporating a strobe flashing unit, it is well known to place only a xenon tube and a reflector inside a lens barrier and to place members such as a trigger transformer in the camera body.
Therefore, the trigger transformer and the reflector of the xenon tube are connected with a long harness and the like including the margin, that is, a moving distance of the lens barrier. The large electromagnetic wave noise and the like occur from this long harness, and hence the harness becomes a source of the electromagnetic wave noise in the camera body. These electromagnetic wave noise and the like were not serious problems in conventional cameras not using each image pickup device and the like, that is, cameras using silver halide film.
However, in an electronic imaging apparatus, the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like adversely affect the image pickup device which converts an optical subject image, i.e. an image-formed with a picture-taking lens, into an electric signal. The electromagnetic noise also adversely affects the electric circuits of the image pickup system which handle weak signals, for example the image processing circuit, thus causing degradation of image quality.
Furthermore, in an electronic imaging apparatus, electrical countermeasures against the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like become necessary. The addition of components to effect the countermeasures results in further problems such as increasing the size of other components like the board and increasing the manufacturing cost.
The electronic imaging apparatus includes more electric part than a camera using silver halide film. Thus, addition of components to effect countermeasures against the electromagnetic noise inevitably increases the size of the apparatus.
On the one hand, the portability and operability of the electronic imaging apparatuses are degraded when the strobe flashing unit is incorporated in the open/close lid because such an arrangement produces an appearance of only the strobe reflector projecting from the open/close lid to the exterior since the strobe reflector is particularly thick.
On the other hand, generally speaking, the open/close lid in a conventional camera is slidably supported on the camera body using guide rails and the like, and is not restricted so firmly.
Therefore, for example, upon application of a strong input, there is a possibility that the open/close lid will be disjoined and will drop from its supporting guide rails.
In particular, if an open/close lid which has a strobe flashing unit incorporated therein drops, there is a possibility that the strobe flashing unit and its charging block will be exposed to the outside such that connecting lines such as lead wires that supply electricity to the strobe flashing unit are connected, or some of the connecting lines become disconnected.
In such a case, an ordinary user may misunderstand that the dropped open/close lid can be easily restored, and may restore the open/close lid to its position while failing to restore the disconnected lines. It is natural that the camera assembled in the incomplete state cannot perform a complete picture-taking operation.
By the way, although, conventional cameras having a strobe device in the camera body are widespread, it is usual to produce each housing, by means of injection molding with nonconductive material.
Therefore, if each housing is formed with the non-conductive material in case of incorporating the strobe device in a camera body of the above-described conventional camera, it is unnecessary to consider in particular the space between the strobe device, which is located in the housing, and the internal wall surface of the housing member.
Then, heretofore, miniaturization of a camera itself has been performed by adjacently placing the strobe reflector, constructing the strobe device provided inside the housing member like. For example, cameras and the like that incorporate each strobe device are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 7-306453 and No. 8-129207.
Nevertheless, since plenty of electronic circuits performing high-speed processing, as described above, are located inside each electronic imaging apparatus, the electromagnetic wave noise occurring from the electronic circuits in the body is large in comparison to conventional cameras using silver halide film.
Since this electromagnetic wave noise and the like cause degradation of the quality of an image shown by a picture signal in the electronic imaging apparatus which electrically records the picture signal, it is necessary to remove the electromagnetic wave noise.
Then, in the conventional electronic imaging apparatuses, various types of means for preventing the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like are put into practical use by forming each housing and its exterior with conductive material through, for example, plating, coating, using metal-fiber-containing resin, and the like.
Furthermore, in the design purpose on the apparatus body, using plating, coating, metal-fiber-containing resin, and the like for the housing member is common.
On the one hand, in the above-described cameras and electronic imaging apparatuses having an open/close lid formed with conductive material have been used so as to prevent the adverse effects of the electromagnetic wave noise even if the strobe flashing unit and the like are contained inside the open/close lid.
Nevertheless, if the miniaturization of an electronic imaging apparatus whose housing and exterior are formed with the conductive material as described above is performed by adjacently locating the strobe device located inside the housing and the housing members, there is a possibility that discharge (spark) may occur between the strobe reflector of the strobe device, and the conductive housing members.
In this case, if the discharge arises and its current leaks into the body, there is a possibility that a control means such as the CPU controlling the entire apparatus may be damaged. Therefore, it is an important task to securely prevent occurrence of the above-described discharge.
Then, it is possible to prevent the discharge by securing the sufficient creeping distance between the strobe flashing unit composed of the strobe reflector, xenon tube, and the like and the housing members adjacent to the strobe flashing unit.
Nevertheless, in this case, there is a problem of increasing the size of the apparatus itself because a dead space arises in the housing.
The same problem occurs when the open/close lid comprising the strobe device is formed with the conductive material.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging apparatus having an open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens that is equipped with a strobe flashing unit, adverse effects of electromagnetic wave noise caused by the strobe flashing unit are suppressed.
In addition, a second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging apparatus that is miniaturized and has an excellent portability and satisfactory operability.
Furthermore, a third object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging apparatus that can securely prevent a picture-taking failure and the like, which are cause by assembly in an incomplete state, with a texture that prevents an ordinary user from reassembling the apparatus after its accidental disassembly. For example, when the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens drops off from the body.
Moreover, a fourth object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging apparatus that can prevent a user from touching these members directly with his/her hand by making electric members such as a charging unit exposed, for example, when the open/close lid drops off from the body.
In addition, a fifth object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging apparatus which can prevent adverse effects such as discharge and electromagnetic wave noise occurring from the strobe device and contribute to miniaturization of the apparatus that comprises a strobe device in its body and a housing, which is a structure of the body, having an exterior (members from a housing to its exterior) formed with conductive material.
Briefly, an electronic imaging apparatus according to a first invention comprises in front of a body an open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens where a strobe flashing unit is incorporated, the electronic imaging apparatus including a trigger transformer for strobe flashing also incorporated with the strobe flashing unit in the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens.
Therefore, since the strobe flashing unit and trigger transformer for strobe flashing are contained inside the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens, it is possible to realize the miniaturization of the apparatus itself.
In addition, an electronic imaging apparatus according to a second invention comprises in front of a body an open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens where a strobe flashing unit is incorporated, the electronic imaging apparatus characterized in that it comprises a cutting means for cutting lead wires electrically connecting the apparatus body and the strobe flashing unit in the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens when the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens drops off, this cutting means being provided in the apparatus body
Therefore, if the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens drops off, the lead wires are cut by the cutting means, and hence the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens is completely cut apart from the body of the electronic imaging apparatus.
In addition, an electronic imaging apparatus according to a third invention comprises a strobe device and has members from a housing, which is a structure of the body, to its exterior that are formed with conductive material, the electronic imaging apparatus characterized in that a part adjacent to a strobe flashing unit in the housing is formed with a non-conductive clear member and this clear member is constructed to include a flash transmitting surface portion which transmits the flash from the strobe flashing unit and a part that is not part of the flash transmitting surface portion facing a part of the back of a strobe reflector.
Therefore, the adverse influence such as the discharge and electromagnetic wave noise that arise from the strobe device is prevented, satisfactory image pickup results (images) are obtained, and miniaturization of the apparatus itself is realized.
The above and further objects and advantage of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description.
According to the first invention, since the trigger transformer is contained with the strobe flashing unit in the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens, it becomes possible to suppress the adverse influence given to each processing circuit inside the apparatus body by the electromagnetic wave noise arising in the strobe flashing unit, and in particular, since the trigger transformer is also contained together, it becomes possible to shorten the distance between the trigger transformer and the strobe flashing unit, and hence it becomes possible to further effectively suppress the occurrence of the electromagnetic wave noise due to the wiring of high-voltage signal lines.
In addition, since it becomes possible to suppress the electromagnetic wave noise as described above, it becomes possible to make the shielding of the apparatus body simple, and hence it becomes possible to secure high reliability of the electronic imaging apparatus and to make the electronic imaging apparatus smaller.
Furthermore, according to the second invention, since the lead wires of the strobe flashing unit are cut, for example, if the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens drops off from the apparatus body due to the impact of drop and the like, a user recognizes that it is impossible to completely repair the apparatus by himself/herself. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent the user from continuing the image pickup operation after the user performs assembly in the incomplete state, and to provide the electronic imaging apparatus capable of securely preventing image pickup failure and the like.
Moreover, according to the third invention, since the part adjacent to the strobe flashing unit in the housing is formed with a non-conductive clear member that is constructed to include the flash transmitting surface portion that transmits the flash from the strobe flashing unit and since there is a part that is except the flash transmitting surface portion and faces to a part of the back of a strobe reflector, it becomes possible to simply prevent the discharge (spark), arising between the strobe reflector and the housing members, and the like with securing a function for preventing the electromagnetic wave noise by covering the part facing the part of the back of the strobe reflector through extending a part of a strobe window having the flash transmitting surface portion, thereby also providing an electronic imaging apparatus capable of facilitating assembly with a reduction in the manufacturing cost.